George Albert Nicholson Center

1410 Captain O’Neal Drive

In 1868, after the town of Blakely on the Tensaw River was completely destroyed
by the Civil War and Yellow Fever epidemics, the Baldwin County Seat of
Government was moved from Blakely to Daphne. While the
Daphne County Courthouse was being built,
official gatherings were held under the shelter of a large oak (“Jury Oak”) on
the grounds of the Howard Hotel.
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The new Daphne courthouse was grand with a beautiful spiral staircase. A
two-story jail was built behind it. The courthouse was also used
for many social gatherings, so it quickly became the center of town. In 1901,
the State Legislature and citizens of Bay Minette voted to move the County Seat
to a more central location in Bay Minette, where a new courthouse was then
constructed. Citizens of Daphne were reluctant to give up the County Seat.
Finally, after three years of waiting, 15-20 citizens from Bay Minette traveled
to the outskirts of Daphne in buggies and wagons, carrying shotguns and pistols,
and waited for night. Under the cloak of darkness, they gained entry into the
Daphne County Courthouse
and jail (using the ruse of locking up a violent adolescent), packed up all the
courthouse papers, including the judge’s desk and the one prisoner, and moved
lock, stock and barrel to Bay Minette.

Daphne citizens were irate; they took
the issue to the Supreme Court. The Court agreed that the County Seat belonged
in Daphne, but a judge later reversed this decision. Bitter arguments lead, in
some instances, to fisticuffs involving some prominent citizens. All efforts to
return the County Seat to Daphne failed. It remains in Bay Minette today. When
Daphne citizens recovered from the loss, they raised funds for renovation of the
building and, in 1907, opened a boarding school of higher learning, the
Daphne Normal State School.

Tuition was free; other expenses totaled $115.50 (board $90; laundry $9;
textbooks $7.50; and incidentals $9). The primary and elementary grades were
taught in the Annex (the old jail) behind the main building. The Annex became
the Model School where seniors, aspiring to become teachers, honed their skills
while preparing to sit for examinations for teaching certificates. The Junior
High and High School classes were taught in the main building. The large flat
field west of the school was used extensively for athletic events, student
activities, and ball games. The Daphne Normal State School replaced the
Courthouse as the center of town activity. When State funding was lost in 1940,
the school closed. The building was demolished in 1958. The present community
center was built by the estate of George Albert Nicholson.